Preventive maintenance Zainab Almugbel Community CollegeImam AbdulRahman Bin Faisal University

Objectives

1. How to set up and perform scheduled preventive maintenance tasks to keep Windows healthy

2. How to prepare for disaster by keeping good backups of user data and Windows system files

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CLEAN UP THE HARD DRIVEFor best performance, Windows needs about 15 percent free space on the hard drive to use it for:

– defragmenting the drive,– for burning CDs and DVDs, – and for a variety of other tasks, so it’s important to

delete unneeded files occasionally. You can improve drive performance and free up space by :– defragmenting the drive, – checking the drive for errors, – compressing folders, – and moving files and folders to other drives.

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How HDD work

• Your HDD (hard disk drive) is the slowest part of your computer, because it contains moving parts - spinning platters and the read-write head. This is what it looks like inside your computer:

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Defragmenting • The more pieces the file is broken into, and the further apart those

pieces are scattered on the hard drive, the longer it takes for the read-write head to retrieve it, which results in slower performance.

• Defragmenting a drive rewrites files in contiguous clusters and improves drive performance.

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Checking the drive for errors

• Next, to make sure the drive is healthy, you need to search for and repair file system errors.

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FREE UP SPACE ON THE DRIVE

To free up some space on the hard drive, consider these tips:Uninstall software you no longer use. Move data off the drive. Move programs off the drive. Use drive or folder compression.

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MOVE THE VIRTUAL MEMORY PAGING FILE

• Windows uses a file, Pagefile.sys, as it uses memory. This file is called virtual memory and is used to enhance the amount of RAM in a system.

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BACKUP PROCEDURES

• A backup is an extra copy of a data or software file that you can use if the original file becomes damaged or destroyed.

• Losing data due to system failure, a virus, file corruption, or some other problem really makes you appreciate the importance of having backups.

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When a PC is your Permanent Responsibility

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• Organize the Hard Drive Root Dictionary. • Create Rescue Disks.• Document All Setup Changes, Problems, and

Solutions.• Record setup Data.• Take Practical Precautions to Protect

Software and Data.• Backup original software.• backup data on the hard drive.

Caring for CD Drives and Discs

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• Most problems with CDs are caused by dust. Fingerprint, scratches, surface defects, or random electrical noise. Use these precautions handling CDs and DVDs:

Hold the CD by edge, don’t touch the bright side of the disk where data is stored.

To remove dust or fingerprints, use a clean soft dry cloth.

Don’t’ write or paste paper on the surface of the CD.

Caring for CD Drives and Discs

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don’t subject the CD to heat or leave it in direct sunlight

If a CD get stuck in the drive, use emergency eject hole to remove it.

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